Football Question

[derekpara]

Situation in game:

Player shoots at goal.
Ball going very wide.
Ball strikes Referee and deflected into goal.

Goal kick or goal ?

[aelmpvw]

it's a goal

[Ken4155]

Goal

[fiction-factory]

I thought that the rule(law) had changed last year so that if the ball hit the referee and it interfered with play, a bounce up was awarded.

[aelmpvw]

goal celebrations by the ref would be strongly frowned upon

[10ClarionSt]

I think the rule on this has changed recently. Previously, the referee was considered to be part of the game. Under the old rules, it would be a goal. Under the new rules, it would be a ball drop at the foot of the player who had the shot, and play continues.

[fiction-factory]

Summary of 2019/20 law change
"If the ball touches the referee or another match official and goes into the goal, or results in a change of possession or a promising attack, a dropped ball will be awarded."
https://www.premierleague.com/news/1292424#:~:text=Contested%20dropped%20balls%20are%20a%20thing%20of%20the%20past.&;text=If%20the%20ball%20touches%20the,dropped%20ball%20will%20be%20awarded.

Dropped balls are not contested these days.
"Contested dropped balls are a thing of the past.
If play is stopped inside the penalty area, the ball will be dropped for the goalkeeper."
If play is stopped outside the penalty area and a dropped ball required, it will now be dropped for a player from the team that last touched it, where the last touch happened.

All other players must be at least four metres away.

[Ken4155]

10C is correct. I only looked at the first 'hit' on my Google search. New rules came into play at the beginning of the season and this rule was one of those affected.

[fiction-factory]

The only point I'd add is that if, as could be the case here, it happened it the penalty area, the ball would be dropped for the goalkeeper rather than the attacking team.
If it was outside the area it would be dropped for the attacking team who would be expected to put it out of play for a goal kick.

[derekpara]

Well done, everyone.

D